


The Missing Boy

by iwritewhenimhappy



Series: Santa Monica, Baby [2]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Case Fic, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-18 19:23:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20318221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwritewhenimhappy/pseuds/iwritewhenimhappy
Summary: As Buck gets used to his new partner a young boy goes missing, and it turns out that everyone is a suspect. Buck just hopes that they can find him alive, but as time goes on it becomes increasingly more and more unlikely. If there's one thing Buck knows for sure though it's that cases like these never end well.





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr.

“So how’s your new partner working out for you?” Bobby asks carefully as Buck sits down into his office.

“Is this why you called me in here?” Buck asks a little impatiently. He has a ton of paperwork and he’s defiantly behind. He doesn’t have time for personal check-ups and maybe just maybe he doesn’t want Bobby to know that Diaz is working out just fine. Maybe he doesn’t want to see the smirk of satisfaction on his features and the inevitable, ‘I told you so,’ not that Bobby would say those exact words, but the meaning would be clear.

“Well?”

“Come on, Bobby what do you want me to say? We’re getting along.”

“I should hope so, he did save your life.”

Buck gives him a glare. “I already thanked him.”

“I’m glad to hear it. He’s been cleared by IA, so are you guys ready for another case?”

Buck sits back confused. “You’ve never asked me that before.”

“You’ve never had your partner shoot a suspect in front of you, or learn that there may be a mole in our unit.” Bobby says and Buck rolls his eyes.

“I passed my psych eval.”

“You did, but then again you also took a Criminal Psychology course so I know you know those questions and how to pass them.”

“Bobby, Cap, give me a break, okay? It’s been tough yeah, but mostly because we’ve been cooped up in this office for the past two weeks.”

Bobby smiles a winning smile. “So it’s ‘we’ now?”

“What’s the case?” Is Buck’s only response.

“Alright, well I’m sorry we had to waste time but I need to know that my people are ready. This case is a priority.”

“What some political official? Because I’m pretty sure we take the reject cases, not the ‘important’ ones.” Buck smiles jokingly.

“You’re right, cases like missing boys from a neighborhood that nobody cares about.” Bobby says solemnly.

Buck’s head snaps up as his face turns into a very grim and serious expression. Missing cases are the hardest and missing kids? Well those are the most difficult. Maybe even more so than murders. “We’ll take the case.”

“Good.” Bobby nods. “I know you’re homicide- we’re all mainly homicide, but this kid has been missing for two days. I talked to the Detectives on the case and they think it’s just a runaway.”

Bobby has handed Buck the file who looks it over and scoffs. “This kid is only ten years old. A runaway?”

“I know. We’ve seen this kind of thing before.”

“Unfortunately.” Buck reluctantly agrees.

-<>-

“So, a missing kid, huh? Daniel Jacobs.” Eddie says as he looks over the file in the passenger seat of Buck’s car. Buck is driving and they’re on their way to the kid’s house. “Ten years old. Last seen when his mom said goodbye to him on the morning of Tuesday this week. He walked to school, supposedly but the school has no record of him in their early morning attendance. So he didn’t show up to school?”

“Exactly.” Buck says with a nod as he bops his head to the tune coming out of his car speakers from the radio. Eddie who is trying to read the very small case file, without looking up from it reaches out and switches the radio off. Buck turns his head and glares. He can’t do it for long before he has to have his eyes back on the road but he does reach out and switch it back on.

Eddie immediately looks up. “I’m trying to read the case file.”

“And I am trying to listen to some music before I have to talk to a grief stricken mother. A panicked, angry mother who we have to question.”

“Okay.” Eddie says. “At least listen to something good.”

“I’m sorry mister R&B rapper.”

Eddie laughs and shakes his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man.”

“Don’t play dumb, I heard you listening to it the other day, and seriously? Awful taste you’ve got.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Uh huh. Whatever I’m driving so I get to choose, those are the rules”

Eddie, still laughing holds up his hands in surrender. “Fine. Fine.”

Buck smirks.

-<>-

“I told you, I don’t know what happened.” Tammy Jacobs says as she walks back and forth on her living room floor. Her dark skin creaks at the corners as she puffs desperately at a rapidly burning cigarette. Both Buck and Eddie sit on her couch watching her and listening to her talk, throwing in questions here and there. Thy each have a notepad out, and are writing down notes of what she’s saying and what’s going on. “He ate his cereal, the Lucky Charms he loves and then I put his blue jacket on. He was wearing his blue jeans, a tee shirt, his sneakers, and his blue baseball hat.”

“And did you watch him walk a ways from the house?” Buck asks not unkindly.

“No! No, I wish to God I had but I didn’t. I was already rushing to get to work, I just…” She trails off as tears leak from the corners of her eyes. Her cigarette is just a bud now, making her walk over and snub it on the ashtray before reaching into her pack and pulling out another.

“It’s not your fault.” Eddie says seriously, his pen put down, and his eyes locked onto hers.

Tammy nods her head, trying desperately to believe him. “You’re going to find my boy, right? Because those other Detectives they- they didn’t even go to the school. I talked to Danny’s teacher and he said that they never showed up. They said that they would! That it was protocol.”

“I’m sorry, but there was a mix up in our department.” Buck tells her as Eddie’s eyes snap to him, curious and confused as to why he is covering for the other detectives. He told Eddie in the car that these detectives were sweeping this one under the rug. So why then would he lie to the mother? “But rest assured that my partner and I are on Danny’s case 100%. We’re going to give it our full attention and do everything in our power to find your son.”

The tears fall from Tammy’s eyes freely now as she nods gratefully, believing him whole heartedly. “Thank you. Thank you.”

-<>-

“Why did you lie?” Is the first thing Eddie says as they get back into Buck’s car.

“If I told that grieving, panicked mother that her son was on the back burner, she would have gone in the station guns blazing.”

“How is that a bad thing?” Eddie asks, genuinely curious. “They shouldn’t be able to get away with this.”

“No, they shouldn’t, but you’ll learn.” Buck says mysteriously.

“Learn what?”

Buck looks over to him and with a sorry sad smile says, “That you have to pick your battles, and right now my battle is to find this kid. How about yours?”

A dawn of understanding crosses over Eddie’s eyes as he nods and says in agreement, but a little sadly at their reality, “So is mine.”

“Good, you’re learning, rookie.”

Eddie rolls his eyes at the nickname.

And here he thought they were getting somewhere.


	2. Two.

“So, we talk to the teacher and see what he knows? Who Danny’s friends were?” Eddie asks Buck as they pull up in front of the school.

“Pretty much but we can’t talk to the kids unless their parents are present.” Buck tells him as he takes his keys out of the ejection.

“Yeah, I know. So we get the name of the friends and then arrange interviews with them and their parents.”

“God, kids.” Buck says almost in absent-mind as he shakes his head, hands still on the steering wheel.

“It’s tough working on cases with kids, huh?”

“It is, for the way you’re thinking and also because we can’t talk to their friends, the people who probably know something without hassle. You bring parents in and they’re concerned, worried and scared, maybe even angry. It slows everything down. They mean well, but it makes it tough to do our job.”

“So what are we going to do?” Eddie asks curiously and concerned. He wants to find this kid as soon as possible. The first twenty four to forty eight hours are always the most critical, and they’ve already left that timeline and leapt into the one where most end up dead.

“We’ll talk to the teacher, and then I call Kinard at the station and cash in one of my favours. He’ll arrange the interviews while we go and talk to the father.”

“Tammy said that she hadn’t seen him in years. The last contact she had with him was a postcard from last month.”

“So we shouldn’t go and talk to him?” Buck asks, his voice both condescending and genuinely curious to hear Eddie’s answer.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant we might not get much.”

“Fair enough, but you should always keep an open mind, especially on this job, Diaz. Now, let’s go talk to that teacher.”

-<>-

“Thank you for agreeing to speak to us.” Buck says politely as he, Eddie, and Danny’s teacher, Mr. Harris sit down at a fold up table in the teacher’s staff room. It’s a square faded grey with metal on the edges, how grey can be faded Buck isn’t sure and yet here it is. Mr. Harris doesn’t seem nervous, scared, or generally worried at the moment. He’s very relaxed and open.

“Of course. Danny’s a good kid. When I heard that he had gone missing I talked to my kids to see if they knew anything but nothing.” Mr. Harris tells them with hands open, moving to the tune of his words.

“Are you sure they didn’t see anything?” Buck asks.

“Maybe they saw something, but they never said anything to me so I don’t think they did. They’re usually very honest.”

Buck hides his smirk behind a scratch to his nose. Kids and honestly don’t really go hand to hand in his experience.

“What was he like?” Eddie asks, leaning closer as Buck continues to write notes in his notepad, Eddie taking a break from doing so himself, his attention focused solely on Mr. Harris who’s brown eyes have now turned down into slight distress at the situation of Danny going missing, now that they’re talking about it that is. “Danny, I mean.”

“Danny was perfect. A perfect student.” Mr. Harris tells them with a wishful sort of smile, his dark hands clasping firmly in each other’s. “He was quiet when he needed to be and outspoken when he was passionate about things. He really is a good kid.”

“And what do you know about his relationship with his mother?” Buck asks now, still writing.

“What do you mean?”

“Was it good? Did he ever complain about her? Things at home?”

“No, never.” Mr. Harris says, but he reaches out and rubs under his eyes, below his glasses. Buck watches the movement with narrowed eyes.

“Did he ever mention his father?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“How about friends?” Buck asks. “Did he have friends? Kids in the class he was close to?”

“Yeah, yes a few. Did you need names?”

“And their parents contact information if that’s not too much to ask for.” Buck says, his voice stern.

“Of course not. It’s no trouble at all.”

-<>-

“Well, something is defiantly off with that guy.” Buck says as soon as they sit back in his car.

“Yeah, he- something wasn’t right.” Eddie agrees, almost musing on the idea.

“I’ll get Kinard to run a background check on him and the other staff at the school too.”

“Good idea.”

“Yeah, now we have to drive an hour to talk to this estranged father.” Buck says almost tiredly. Eddie hasn’t really took in his partner’s appearance until now, but as he watches Buck reach for his phone and dial in the familiar number of a colleague’s phone, Eddie notices the dark circles under his eyes. They’re not as awful as they could be, but they’re there and visible, and they tell Eddie that for whatever reason Buck hasn’t been sleeping.

-<>-

“Hey, uh, I could go and talk to the father. You could stay and work on the children’s interviews. Maybe walk the scene.” Eddie offers a few minutes later as Buck hangs up on Kinard.

“No.” Buck says, his eyes barreling into Eddie’s. His jaw is tense and his fingers are curled up in anxiety. He sits there staring for a few moments before he stops, blinking out of it. He leans back and purposely doesn’t look at Eddie any longer. “What I meant is, we’ll go together to the father’s and then we can walk the scene together. Two pairs of eyes are better than one.”

Eddie opens his mouth to say something, to say anything, but before he can a knock on his window jumps them both out of this moment. Eddie turns and looks to find two kids standing outside his window. He looks over to the school and finds all the kids outside. It must be recess. He turns back to the kids by Buck’s car and rolls down the window. There’s a girl, maybe ten or eleven, and a boy about seven.

“Hi, guys.” Eddie says with a smile. “Is everything okay?”

“Uhh…” The boy says, obviously nervous.

The girl speaks up though and says, “Are you the police?”

“We are.” Eddie answers with a nod. “Why? Is there something wrong?”

“No.” The girl shakes her head before turning to the boy who nods. She then turns back and looks from Eddie to Buck, then back to Eddie again. “We saw something.

“You did?” Eddie asks carefully. “What was that?”

“We saw Danny that morning. He was walking through the short cut when a man stopped to talk to him.”

“A man?” Buck can’t help but ask from behind Eddie.

Both the boy and the girl nod.

“Did you know him?” Eddie asks them calmly.

“No, sir.” The boy speaks up. “But he-”

The boy doesn’t get to finish as a phone rings loudly. Eddie turns to half stare, half glare at Buck who picks up his phone, looking at the caller ID. The tense moment between them and the kids is gone as Buck shrugs apologetically. He hits answer on the phone and quickly gets out of the car, walking a ways away to get some privacy. Eddie stares after him for a few minutes both angry and worried. Buck isn’t an asshole, Eddie knows that much and he wouldn’t answer a call like that unless it was important.

Eddie turns back to the kids who are still thankfully standing there.

-<>-

“The kids are gone?” Buck asks a few minutes later as he sits down back in the car.

Eddie doesn’t answer at first, he just stares at Buck for a few very long moments. “What’s going on, Buck?”

“Nothing. What about the kids? What did they say? We’ll have to talk to them again with the parents, I hope you got their names.”

Eddie stares again, he looks from the phone in Buck’s right hand to the dark circles under his eyes. A worrying nudge in his gut becomes larger and larger. He wants to say something, to do something, but he knows, just as he knows those kids weren’t lying, that Buck won’t let him. So instead he answers his question.

“I did get their names. What they said- They said that Danny wasn’t alone. That he started talking to someone and that they walked away together.” Eddie explains.

Buck’s eyes perk up. “Really? Well, did they see this guy’s face?”

“No, no they didn’t, but they said that he was-” Eddie pauses and chuckles a little in exasperation for what he’s about to say. “They said that he was a policeman.”


	3. Three.

“We should be back at the station trying to find this guy.” Eddie says to Buck as they drive along the long stretch of road.

“We have to talk to the father.” Buck says with a sort of sigh. “Kinard and Deluca are on it.”

“But-”

“Eddie.” Buck says his name like a plea. He never uses his first name and it makes Eddie look up, his words dying in his throat.

“Remember what I said? You have to keep an open mind.” Buck tells him, eyes still out on the road in front of him. “I’ve seen too many cops with tunnel vision who miss the obvious, and we have a kid missing. It’s no time to be having tunnel vision.”

“Okay.” Eddie agrees, nodding his head. “What do we know about the father?”

“Not much. He has a record, petty theft, and drug possession. Minor offenses. He lives in a trailer and works as janitor at local office buildings.”

“You looked this all up while I went out and got us some sandwiches?” Eddie asks with a raised eyebrow and a teasing glint in his eye.

“Yep, I’m a fast reader.” Buck smiles and Eddie can’t help but smile too.

“This is going to be a long drive, isn’t it?”

“Only if you pick the music.”

-<>-

When they get to Maurice Jacobs place Buck is about ready to lose his mind. He reluctantly agreed for Eddie to listen to his music for a while after possibly losing a bet about the Red Soxs’ record, and now his head is spinning. Eddie is good looking, okay? He’ll admit that. He has this suave whatever, so you would think his taste would be jazz or classical, maybe even some eighties, but no. He’s into R&B and only R&B. Buck hates R&B with a passion. Pure hell.

“It wasn’t that bad.” Eddie says with a chuckle as he climbs out of Buck’s car to join him.

Buck glares and Eddie chuckles even more heartily. They don’t say anything else as they walk up to the rundown looking trailer, Eddie because he feels like a winner somehow and Buck because he’s mad, okay? When they get to the door though, both detectives lose whatever they were in the moment before and become Detective Diaz and Detective Buckley once again as Eddie knocks on the door. There’s no answer at first causing Buck to now knock himself.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” A gruff and slight growly voice says. It’s not long before he’s opening the door. A larger man peeks out, his eyes squinting at the beating sun. He has a scruffy beard and hands that are much callused, both detectives notice. “What do you want?”

“Maurice Jacobs?” Buck asks. Maurice nods in confirmation. “Hi, I’m Detective Buckley, this is my partner Detective Diaz. We’re from the LA 11th precinct. We’re here about your son, Mr. Jacobs. Danny?”

Maurice blinks, rubbing his eyes in confusion. “Dan?”

“Yes, may we come in?” Eddie asks politely.

“Sure, I mean, I guess.”

-<>-

The place was a mess and it’s obvious that Maurice has been sleeping on the couch. Thankfully there are no drugs or evidence of drugs because honestly Buck does not have the time to be busting someone on possession charges in the middle of a missing person’s case, a missing child’s case nonetheless. In fact, the first impression Buck has is that he’s relatively harmless and perhaps just a little lost.

“What’s this about Dan?” Maurice asks looking from Buck to Eddie.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but he has gone missing.” Buck tells him as kindly as he can.

“Missing?” Maurice asks in surprise.

“Yes, and I know this is difficult but I- we have to ask you a few questions.”

“Okay.”

“When is the last that you saw your son?” Buck asks carefully as he and Eddie pull out their notepads.

“Uh, five- no seven years ago I think.”

“Okay, and you’re still married to Tammy Jacobs, correct?” Eddie asks now.

“Yeah we- Yeah I think so.”

“Where were you last Tuesday, Mr. Jacobs?” Buck asks suddenly.

“I was here. Sleeping. I work the night shift.”

“Okay, is there anyone that can vouch for that?”

“No.”

“Would you mind if we looked around?” Buck asks.

Maurice shrugs. “Go ahead. There’s not much here.”

-<>-

“What do you think?” Eddie asks as they step out of Maurice Jacobs place. They walk towards the car, Eddie feeling like they wasted their time just a little.

“He seemed calm, uninterested, and-” Buck starts to say before his phone rings, cutting him off. “Shit, I have to take this.”

Eddie nods as Buck walks off slightly, answering the phone with a, “Hello?”

A pause.

“What?” Buck says in surprise. “No, no Maddie I’m not avoiding you.”

Another pause.

“Because I’ve been busy that’s why!”

Buck turns even more away from Eddie as he listens to this Maddie on the other line.

“Look, I have to go, no I’m not- Maddie I love you, okay? And I’ve missed you but work is crazy right now. Yes, overtime.”

Eddie can’t help but listen to Buck’s end of the conversation. It’s not like he has the keys to the car. He can’t just get in and give him privacy. He tries not to listen, he really does, but overtime? Buck’s lying. He hasn’t worked any overtime that Eddie knows of and Eddie would know. He’s had dark circles under his eyes and is not making time for this woman, so what is going on? What is wrong?

“I’ll talk to you later.” Buck says into the phone before hanging up. He turns to Eddie and attempts a smile. “Ready to go?”

-<>-

“I’m guessing you heard that.” Buck says a few minutes into the drive back.

“Listen, man, I didn’t-” Eddie tries.

“It’s okay. It’s just my sister. She worries a lot and we haven’t seen each other in a long time.”

“Your sister?” Eddie asks, breathing in some kind of relief.

“Yeah, she’s older but I’m smarter.” Buck says it with a smirk and Eddie nods, smiling. “Do you have any sisters? Maybe you could understand what it’s like.”

“I do actually.” Eddie answers with a fond sort of tone. “Four, actually.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah.”

“And here I’m complaining about my one.” Buck says with a laugh.

“No, it’s fine. Three of my sisters are younger so I’m the one doing the worrying, but my older one, she’s worried about me all the time. Less now that I’m a detective though.” Eddie explains, then a little wishfully. “She’s kind of amazing actually, Marie is her name. She’s the strongest person I know.”

“What’s she like?”

“Kind and fiercely loyal. When she came out to our parents, she put her foot down with them. None of us have ever talked to them like that.”

Buck, obviously a little uncomfortable says, “Came out?”

“Yeah, she’s uh, well she was born a man, you know? But she never was one. I don’t really know how to explain it that well.”

“Oh, so she’s- she’s transgender?”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t really use that word. Says it’s arbitrary.” Eddie tells him, chuckling as he remembers that conversation.

“Well, she sounds great.”

“She is. What about your sister? Maddie? What is she like?”

Buck laughs. “A pain in the ass? But I love her.”

Eddie laughs with him, knowing exactly what he means.

-<>-

“Finally!” Chimney says, his hands in the air as the two walk into the precinct.

“Good to see you too, Chimney.” Buck says, smiling.

“Took you long enough.” Deluca says as he walks over to the two who have just sat down at their desks. “Don’t get too comfy. I’ve found your policeman. His name is Officer Melendez.”

Deluca hands Buck a sheet of paper.

“I pulled a few strings,” Deluca continues, “He’s in interview room one.”

“You are a saint!” Buck says with a smile as he hands the paper over to Eddie to take a look. “I could kiss you.”

“Please don’t.” Deluca says with a grimace.

“Come on, Diaz, let’s go talk to this guy.”

-<>-

“Hello, officer Melendez, I’m Detective Buckley and this is my partner Detective Diaz.” Buck introduces as the two sit down across from the patrolman.

“Hey, um, Detective Kinard and Deluca said this was about a missing boy? Is it Danny?” The officer says, his eyes growing more concerned as he speaks.

“It is.”

“Missing? Really? Look if I knew-”

“You didn’t know?” Eddie asks in confusion.

“No! No. Look, Danny is a good kid from what I know.”

“And how do you know him?” Buck asks.

“The night before Tuesday I was called to the Jacobs residence for a disturbance.” Officer Melendez explains a little desperately.

“A disturbance?” Buck asks surprised, looking to Eddie who shrugs helplessly, this is new to him too.

“Yeah, I never filed a report because it was just one of those things, you know?”

“No, I don’t know.”

“Look, there was yelling, the boy looked scared when I got there. He didn’t look hurt, just scared. The mom, Tammy said she would keep it down, so I left. But the next morning I couldn’t get him out of my head, it was like this nagging feeling in my gut. I went over and waited until he was alone. I went up to him and…”

“And what?”

“Then I noticed the bruises.”

“Wait, bruises?” Eddie asks in alarm.

“Yeah, and yes I thought the worst too. So I- I, I walked with him to the convenience store near the school and bought him an ice cream. I tried to talk to him, you know? But he wouldn’t say anything. I gave him my number and told him he could call me if he ever needed anything. Then he walked to school. That’s the last time I saw him.” Officer Melendez says, obviously upset by the events.

“Is there any way that you can-”

“Prove it?”

Buck nods.

“Yes, the owner was there and- and well there’s a bank across the street. Hell of a place to have one but, well, there might be surveillance footage.”

“Okay.” Buck says with a nod. “Okay, so what kind of bruises are we talking about here?”

Officer Melendez suddenly looks uncomfortable.

“Please.” Eddie says. “There’s a child missing. He’s only ten.”

“Okay, okay, look, when I was a kid my old man, he knocked me around and let’s just say the bruises I had in the morning were very similar.”

Daniel Jacobs doesn’t have a father living with him, thinks both Eddie and Buck as they share a look. In fact he only lives with one other person. His mom.


	4. Four.

“So we got the search warrant?” Eddie asks as Bobby walks up to the both of them.

“We did. One search warrant for Tammy Jacobs. I’ll get a team together and send them-” Bobby explains before being interrupted by Buck.

“Wait, Cap, can me and Eddie have a moment with her before we send the dogs in?”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Bobby asks, genuinely wanting to know not only that but Buck’s reason behind it too.

“I know we have concrete testimony and that it’s not looking good for her but I don’t know it’s like- Something’s not right. I’m sure if we give her the chance she’ll open her doors without the search warrant. Even if she doesn’t, there is a chance she didn’t do this. If that’s the case we’re hounding an innocent woman who’s out of her mind with worry. She should have a moment before she’s bombarded.”

Bobby nods and then says, “It’s your call.”

-<>-

“I know that this is difficult, but we need to search your house.” Buck tells her, like ripping off a band aid.

“Why?” Tammy Jacobs asks, perplexed. “He wasn’t even here when he went missing.”

“Tammy, we know about the bruises.” Buck says to her almost gently.

“What? No. No, he fell down the stairs. It was an accident. You can’t seriously believe that I…? No, no, no.”

“I’m sorry.” Eddie speaks now, his hands out in the air like they’re trying to calm her down somehow. “We’re sorry, but we have to search the house.”

“What? No. I want you out!” She says in anger, her finger pointing to the door as she gets up, standing tall.

“We have a warrant.” Buck says, his eyes downcast before turning up. “He had bruises, you do understand how this looks, don’t you?”

Before she can say anything else, Buck gets up and opens the door, letting the dogs in so to speak.

-<>-

“Diaz! Buckley!” It’s a voice they know from a previous case, one of the techs, Lindsay who calls them from the basement. Eddie and Buck who are looking over Daniel’s bedroom simultaneously look up at each other. They both have a similar look of dread. Lindsay’s voice doesn’t sound pleased or happy, in fact she sounds down right terrified.

“Shit.” Buck says as he nods to Eddie to follow him out of the room. They pass other techs and cops, making their way to the basement. The stairs have no backs and the floor is concrete. The walls are old and made of stone that is black. There’s a small window but no light comes out since it’s become night. There’s a lightbulb on but it’s not much. They walk down and turn the corner where Lindsay kneels down to a small form. Her flashlight shines on the bruised face of one Daniel Jacobs. Unbreathing and unmoving.

There aren’t words. There’s nothing but a pain and sadness, a disgust for who could have done this that washes through you. Buck takes a step forward just as Eddie takes a step back. Buck looks to him and sees tears forming in his eyes. His face is pale and suddenly clammy. Buck watches as he shakes his head and then stumbles up the stairs, and no doubt out of the house.

Buck closes his eyes briefly before opening them again and facing Lindsay. “You know the protocol. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Buck turns to leave but before he can Lindsay stops him by saying almost to herself, “How did this happen?”

Buck wishes he had an answer.

-<>-

As Buck walks out of the basement, his heart in his throat, he doesn’t even have to ask about Eddie, the other techs and officers point to the front door. When he gets out of the house, the patrolmen out there point out to the side of the house. Buck nods in appreciation and thanks, makes his way quickly over there. He finds Eddie leaning against the house. His hand pressed against the blue panes as he heaves into the grass below. He catches Buck’s eyes briefly before he starts to get sick again.

“Hey, okay, you’re okay.” Buck says as soothingly as he can, his hand coming up to Eddie’s back, resting gently as Eddie heaves and heaves. Soon enough he stops, leaning his back against the house, Buck’s hand is back at his own side now.

“I- I’m sor-” Eddie starts.

“Don’t.” Buck says shaking his head as Eddie’s watery eyes meet his. “Don’t you dare apologize for being human.”

Eddie looks at him, his face still lost in the image of Danny laying on the floor, dead.

“Look,” Buck says, his eyes turning serious, “I’m going to tell you something a- a friend of mine told me once. That reaction right there, that feeling of horror and disgust, it’s what makes us human beings. It’s what makes us different from the bastards who do those awful things.”

“Yeah, I- I know, but I’m still sorry, I should have been more professional.” Eddie says.

In a burst of emotion, Buck reaches out, his hand clasping onto Eddie’s arm. It makes Eddie start and look up, surprised and confused. Buck moves in closer, his eyes staring down at his partner’s as he says, “Don’t ever apologize to anyone for that- for caring. Because that’s what that is. Don’t ever apologize, especially to me, okay?”

Eddie nods, sniffling slightly as he starts to regain his composure. They stay there like that as he does his best to become Detective Diaz again, and not Eddie the father who can’t help but think of his own son when looking at Danny.

“What have we got?” A voice from somewhere close, but not in eyesight says. It makes Eddie and Buck move away from each other as the intense moment between them passes.

“Are you okay?” Buck asks, and he’s asking more than just that.

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay.”

Buck nods and they move together, walking away from the side of the house and into the front of it. There they find two new faces, an older bald man, and one with a moustache. They’re talking to the patrolman, asking about the body found inside. If it’s Daniel Jacobs.

“Hi.” Buck says as he and Eddie walk over to them. The two look over. “I’m Detective Buckley and this is Detective Diaz, we’re on the Daniel Jacobs case. How can we help you?”

The patrolman looks from Buck and Eddie to the other two, and then nods, taking his leave.

“I’m Detective Bouchard and my partner Detective Rickman. We were originally on this case until it got bumped to you.” The bald man tells them both.

“We just heard the news.” Detective Rickman tells him.

Eddie takes a step forward, unfiltered anger in his eyes, but as he speaks his voice is surprisingly steady. “So you’re the Detectives who got this case and decided he was a runaway? A ten year old boy? And you didn’t do anything? No investigating?”

Eddie takes another step forward as Buck lands a hand on his shoulder to stop him, but it doesn’t work.

“Hey, we did our jobs.” Detective Bouchard says defensively.

Eddie smiles but it’s not quite there. “If you did your jobs maybe that little boy wouldn’t be dead.”

“This isn’t our fault.” Detective Rickman says with a sneer and that’s all it takes for Eddie to lunge forward. Luckily he doesn’t get far as Buck’s hand is already on his arm, feeling the tensing of his muscles before he makes a move. He grabs him and pulls him back, dragging him to his car parked down the street. All the time Eddie struggles until they get there.

“That’s enough, Diaz, I said that’s enough!” Buck says, his hands on Eddie’s shoulders, stopping him from running back over there.

“Buck, let me go.” Eddie says seriously, his eyes burning into Buck’s.

“Hey, hey look at me.” One of Buck’s hands finds the back of Eddie’s neck. He squeezes gently and Eddie sighs. He stops struggling and sags down against the car. Buck’s hands leave him.

“I’m sorry.” Eddie says again, only this time more upset, more devastated than before.

“No apologizing, okay? If you weren’t here I would have gone after them myself.” Buck says with a slight smile, making Eddie smile somewhat too.

“Yeah, okay.”

“This is a tough case but you have to remember that there is a little boy that is still counting on us.”

“I don’t know what to do.” Eddie admits, his eyes on the ground.

“Here’s what you do, you put all that anger into working on this case. Into finding the truth. It’s the only way to get through it.”

Eddie looks up, meeting Buck’s eyes again. “I’m glad I have you as my partner.”

Buck smiles almost bashfully before his features turn serious again. “We’re going to have to talk to the mother again. I can- I can do it alone, if you- you know, if you want.”

“No, I’ll be there.” Eddie says with a shake of his head, but with the doubtful eyes of Buck, Eddie adds, “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Then let’s go talk to the mother.”


	5. Five.

“Coffee?” Eddie asks as he walks over to Buck who sits on the edge of his desk, staring at their board for the Daniel Jacobs case. Eddie has two cups in his hands, one black with one cream and two sugar, and another black with two cream, Buck’s coffee order. He likes sugar too, but only if it’s topped with whip cream. Being his partner for over a month has left Eddie noticing and remembering the little things about him like music taste, his coffee order, and that his sister calls him at least twice a day. His sisters only call him once a month, except for Marie who calls once, maybe twice a week. He’s lucky, is what Eddie has gathered, but also troubled. The circles under his eyes seem to be getting darker and darker.

“Yeah, thanks.” Buck says, not even looking at him as he reaches out and takes the wrong cup. Eddie watches him, hiding a smile as he takes a sip and grimaces. Finally he turns away from the board and looks to Eddie. His face shows betrayal. “What is this?”

“My coffee. You grabbed the wrong one.” Eddie explains, making Buck shake his head before switching them. Eddie’s left holding his coffee that’s had a sip from Buck, but he’s never been one to care for sharing germs or whatever so he simply shrugs and takes a sip, besides this is the last cup of coffee and he doesn’t feel like making a new pot. “Are you okay, Buck? You’ve been staring at that since we talked to Tammy the other day.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Buck?”

“Yeah?” Buck asks looking at Eddie now, his eyes reddened from lack of sleep.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Eddie asks with concern.

“I’m fine, I just- something isn’t right here. It’s too neat. It’s too clean.”

“Well, I mean, we’re still waiting for the autopsy report. There could be something there.”

“Yeah, you’re right. What’s taking Alice so long?” Buck asks, but it’s more of a question for himself.

“I don’t know.” Eddie answers anyway. “All we know is that Tammy Jacobs swears up and down that this wasn’t her. We have a cop who says there were bruises. Tammy claims it was an accident.”

Buck gives him a ‘are you kidding me' look, making Eddie shrug. “You saw those bruises, Diaz, do they look like an accident to you?”

“Not really, no, but she could be an abuser, doesn’t mean she’s a killer.”

“Small chance. The stats say… No, no forget the stats. It doesn’t make sense.” Buck continues now standing up and walking closer to the board. “Okay, hear me out?”

Eddie nods immediately. They are partners have all.

“Monday night Officer Melendez gets a call to a house about a disturbance. He gets there, Tammy apologizes and Danny at this point has no bruises. He looks healthy and fine, if not a little scared, right?” Buck says looking to Eddie who nods. “The next day Danny leaves the house to walk to school. He takes the short cut and meets Officer Melendez who was hanging around, concerned as he says. Two kids who are walking near watch them talk, then walk away. Officer Melendez offers to buy Danny an ice cream to get him alone because of his concern for his home life. He has bruises now. Not fresh from that morning but from last night. Perhaps after Melendez left; Tammy was scared, frustrated even and took it out on Danny.”

“It makes sense so far.” Eddie comments.

“Right. So, Officer Melendez and Danny talk over ice cream. Danny says everything’s fine and then heads in the direction of school. Officer Melendez leaves. So what? He goes back home? Or his mom finds him and takes him back home? Why would she? There’s no reason, no motive. Likewise, he’s a kid who’s going through hell at home. He would want to spend every second he could away from that place. He wouldn’t just go home.”

Eddie listens to Buck, hearing the raw emotion as he talks about Danny not going home, almost like he’s Danny. Almost like he has been exactly in his position.

“Okay. I hear you.” Eddie says. “Let’s say it’s not the mom, then who could it be? The father?”

“No, it doesn’t seem right. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would do this. It seemed almost like he forgot he had a son.”

“A father never forgets their kid, Buck.” Eddie’s words are defensive and maybe just maybe they both are little emotional from the horrific crime they’re facing. Not to mention the seemingly dead end they’ve hit even with a body.

“Okay, well, is there anything else we’ve missed? I mean anything.”

“What about the bank security footage?” Eddie asks.

“There was nothing on it.” Buck counters. “It only showed the entrance of the bank and the street. Cars passed by but Melendez said Danny went the opposite way.”

“Licenses plates?”

“Half visible.”

“It’s a long shot.” Eddie says. “But maybe we can match it against all of our suspect’s vehicles? The father, Tammy, staff at the school, and anyone he had contact with that we know about.”

Buck nods. “It’s better than doing nothing.”

-<>-

“Hey, sorry this took so long.” Deluca says as he walks in, a large file in hand. He places it on Buck’s desk and pulls out a granola bar from his pocket. “Kinard and I got caught on a triple homicide at this- you won’t believe this it was a se-”

“Deluca.” Buck says, stopping him from continuing. “What are you talking about?”

“The background checks on the school staff, remember? Look, it would have been quicker, my case aside, but I had to dig deep.”

“Deep, why?”

“Well, your Mr. Harris has a shady past.”

Buck looks up surprised, and relieved. Finally, finally, and fucking finally.

“Yeah, yeah, you could kiss me.” Deluca says with a smirk before walking away.

Buck opens the file up as Eddie walks in to the bullpen from the elevator, a large smile on his face. “Good news.” He says holding up his own file. “Autopsy just got in.”

Buck looks up, the smile and glee now gone from his features. “Don’t tell me, he was strangled.”

“Yeah, how did you know?” Eddie asks confused.

“Because,” Buck says, looking back down at the file in his hands, “this isn’t the first time Mr. Harris has done this.”

-<>-

“Turns out that he molested a nine year old down in Florida. Got married and changed his name. It’s why the school hired him, his background check never brought up any red flags because it wasn’t the name he was arrested with. A mix-up or something.” Buck scoffs, disgusted and angry that this could happen. “He tried to strangle him but it was in a park and someone came by just in time.”

“And he got out?” Bobby asks in shock.

Buck laughs darkly. “Yeah, fifteen years. That’s it. I mean, who- how… How can that happen?”

“I don’t know, Buck, but-”

“’We keep doing our job and making a difference where we can.’” Buck quotes his words with a smile. “I know.”

“Good. You should take a day, you and Eddie both. This was a rough one.”

“Cap-”

“No, this is mandatory.” Bobby interrupts. Buck nods, not really arguing. With an extra day he can get back on Abby’s case. He knows he’s getting closer, he just knows it.

“I’ll see you in a couple of days.” Buck says as he starts to get up from his chair.

“Wait. I need to talk to you.”

“About what?” Buck is sitting back down again.

“About Detective Diaz.” Bobby tells him, making Buck rolls his eyes. “Is everything going alright with him?”

“Yes, for the fiftieth time Bobby, everything is fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“What do you want me to say?” Buck says, his hands in the air. “You wanted us to bond. We are. And who knows? We might end up real close.”

“I’m just looking out for you. For my unit.”

“I know.” Buck says a little solemnly. “You always are.”

-<>-

“Hey.” Buck says walking out from Bobby’s office and into the empty bullpen aside from himself and Diaz.

“Hi.” Eddie replies, not looking up, his pen going a mile a minute on the report he’s filling out.

“Cap gave us a day off tomorrow.”

“Don’t need it.”

Buck nods and then, very quickly snatches the pen out of Eddie’s hand. Eddie looks up, angry. “What the hell, Buck?”

“You need to go home and rest. Don’t you have a girl or something? Something to get your mind off of all this shit for a while.”

“No, not really.” Eddie answers honestly, almost sadly.

“Is there anything you want to do?”

Eddie doesn’t answer, but he does slide his eyes and Buck knows that’s one of his tells.

“Alright what is it?” Buck asks.

“It’s nothing.” Eddie reiterates, avoiding Buck’s eyes. Buck shakes his head at that and leans over his desk, palms on top. Eddie looks up nervously as Buck’s face gets close to him.

“Tell me.” Buck says and it’s surprisingly soft, gentle even.

“I- All I really want is to hold my son.” Eddie’s eyes have tears in them when he says it and Buck feels his heart clench in pain for him. It’s then that his eyes become clearer, less driven as he finally sees how rugged and dragged Eddie looks. This case hit him hard, harder than ever. He didn’t know Eddie had a kid that he has a son but now it all makes sense. Not that anyone shouldn’t have that kind of reaction after seeing a dead child, but the way he talked to Tammy…

His own eyes turning sad, Buck asks, “Well, why don’t you? I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

“I don’t know if my wife would agree with that.”

Buck looks down at his left hand where no ring lays.

“Your wife? That doesn’t matter. He’s your son and you have a right to see him. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“Probably, but it took us everything to get where we are with each other. I don’t want to screw it up.”

“Going over to hug your son after a difficult case? How is that screwing up anything?” Buck says with a fierceness in his eyes that Eddie has only ever glimpsed before.

“I don’t know.” Eddie says, but he doesn’t seem very convincing even to himself.

“Yeah, you do. Come on, I’ll drive you.”

-<>-

“Thank you for this, Buck.” Eddie says sincerely, his eyes staring at Buck’s with honest thankfulness.

“It’s no trouble.” Buck tells him with a half-smile as Eddie nods and then gets out of Buck’s car. Buck watches him run up the steps of the little salmon coloured house with fondness in his eyes. The door opens before he even gets there and a brunette pretty young woman is standing there with a boy, ten, maybe eleven who has crutches in each arm. He’s smiling widely, his arms open wide and waiting. Eddie opens his just as wide and picks him up. He swings him around and then holds him close. His eyes tightened shut, savouring the moment.

Buck watches this moment, transfixed, his smile becoming wider and happier as his heart explodes. His smile falters, his hand comes up and touches his chest, where his heart beats no longer alone. He frowns as a memory with Abby surfaces. He still loves her, he always will, but now shit, no, he has to think of her. He has to get justice for her. It’s all he can think about, and it’s all that matters.

-<>-

“Feel better?” Buck asks as they drive away from the house. Eddie is still smiling, but Buck isn’t.

“I do.” Eddie nods. “How about you? What do you need, Buck?”

Buck looks at him, smiling for half a second before turning back to the road. 

“You haven’t been sleeping. You’ve been taking phone calls during cases. When we’re talking to witnesses. Something’s wrong.” Eddie continues.

“I’m fine.”

“Buck, I’ve got your back, okay? So if you need help, let me.”

“You really want to know?” Buck asks, looking at him curiously, suddenly feeling very much like he’s at the end of a rope now.

Eddie nods.

“Okay. Okay. Let me show you then.”

Instead of heading over to drop Eddie off at his apartment, Buck detours, taking a side road and turning around, making his way onto the route to his own apartment instead.

-<>-

“Maybe you’re the only I can trust, aside from Cap.” Buck says, his key clicking into the lock and opening his door. “I mean, after all you just got here. It couldn’t have been you.”

Buck turns the lights on and Eddie almost gasps.

“I know.” Buck says from his left. “You probably think I’m crazy.”

Eddie walks over into the living room and stares at the wall. There’s papers everywhere pinned up, covering the entire wall. Police reports, autopsy reports, and even red fucking string. It all leads to the center where a face, an older, kind face smiles. Her hair is orange and she wears glasses. Underneath are the words; **Detective Abby Clark.**

“This was your partner?” Eddie asks looking behind him to Buck.

“Yeah, she uh- I need to find out what happened to her. I have to, Eddie.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, I’m in.”

Buck smiles, suddenly having the urge to hug Eddie, but deciding against it he says instead, “I better make us some coffee then. There’s a lot we have to go over.”


End file.
